


Let it Snow

by Littlelaion



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alcohol, BAU bad bitches, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Ficmas, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Japanese-American Character, Occasional angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Party Games, Reader-Insert, Secret Santa, Snow, aspen - Freeform, idiots to lovers, rossi has a house everywhere, the abc murders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28050270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlelaion/pseuds/Littlelaion
Summary: Just like every morning, you arrived at the office at 7:55 in the morning and went straight for the coffee. It’s not that you had an obsession with time, but you didn’t like to rush into the day, so you left earlier than normal. If everything went accordingly, every day you had between five and seven minutes to yourself in the bullpen just to sip your coffee and catch up either on emails or on your own reading.Today, however, you brought your coffee cup to your desk, like always, but something was different. On it there was a wrapped package with a card that said «Zoe».
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader, Spencer Reid/You
Comments: 41
Kudos: 91





	1. Secret Santa

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! In this edition of I-can't-stop-imagining-what-it-would-be-like-to-date-Spencer-Reid, Y/N is Zoe Harris.
> 
> Set in season 7

Just like every morning, you arrived at the office at 7:55 in the morning and went straight for the coffee. It’s not that you had an obsession with time, but you didn’t like to rush into the day, so you left earlier than normal. If everything went accordingly, every day you had between five and seven minutes to yourself in the bullpen just to sip your coffee and catch up either on emails or on your own reading.

Today, however, you brought your coffee cup to your desk, like always, but something was different. On it there was a wrapped package with a card that said "Zoe". Inside it, these words: " _You grow fearless by doing the things you fear_ , this is me trying. Signed: Secret Santa".

You stared at the small piece of paper, analyzing its contents. The handwritten script looked familiar, but you were pretty sure it wasn’t any of your team members’. _Maybe this was all Penelope? She always types her messages, so I can’t say I’m all that familiar with her handwriting,_ you thought. But certainly the message didn’t sound like something she would say, so that ruled her out. _Could it be Anderson? But we haven't organized a Secret Santa this year, have we?_

If you had actually thought about opening the present, you probably would have guessed exactly who this Secret Santa was, but you were too wrapped up in trying to solve the card, so you completely forgot about the package until someone else got into the office.

"Morning, Zo. Hey, what do you have in there?" Prentiss asked, snatching the card from your fingers. She read it aloud and then breathed out like a whistle. "Look at that… someone has a Secret admirer!"

"Who does?" Garcia and JJ echoed as they had entered the bullpen, the former carrying four massive bags.

"Zoe! She’s got a gift and everything!" Emily replied. _Great, now the whole bullpen knows_ , you facepalmed. As you searched around for other onlookers, you found that Spencer and Derek were by the coffee machine, both with a very interested look in their eyes.

"No one has a Secret admirer" You stole the card back, and stuffed both that and the package in your bag. _There’s no way I’m opening the gift in front of these vultures._

"Alright, alright… someone is touchy about their Secret admirer…!" Emily raised her hands in defense and smiled.

"Look, let’s just, let’s change the subject. Penny…what are those bags?" You tried to bring everyone’s attention to Garcia’s bags.

"Well, this is an early Christmas present for my favorite triple b’s!" She said, dropping one of the bags on your desk. It was pretty non-descriptive, so you couldn’t just guess what it was without opening it.

" _Triple bs_?" JJ asked.

"BAU’s Baddest Bitches, of course" she explained, satisfied with her clever nickname.

It made you laugh because, in a career so typically full of testosterone, you all had had the experience of being either doubted in the field, or had been the only woman in a team. Especially if your abilities leaned more toward the academical ones. Except for Garcia, who was never in the field, the rest of the girls had been doubted once or twice, and you had seen men treat you as if you were more fragile than you actually were, just because you were a woman. So, when it was just you and the girls, you tried your hardest to empower one another constantly: it was your way of dealing with internalized sexism that sometimes happened within this job.

"Oh, Bad Bitch Number One, you didn’t have to" Prentiss asked, and Garcia dismissed her. The three of you dug into your bags and ripped the paper open to discover three identical navy blue onesies, with three little Bs embroidered over the left side of the chest in white thread.

"Oh my God, Penny, I love it!" You gushed.

"Wait until you unfold it and look at the back" she squealed.

All of you proceeded to unfold the onesie and turn it over, only to discover that yours had an inscription in the back, nearing the butt area, that said «SAPIOSEXUAL», you looked over the rest, to try and catch a glimpse of what they had in theirs.

"Why does mine say that?!" Prentiss exclaimed. Her onesie said «Crazy Cat Lady».

"Am I wrong?" Penelope asked, smugly.

"I only have ONE cat. ONE! And we share custody!" Emily puffed, annoyed. We all laughed and turned to check out JJ’s.

" _Mama Bear._ Not unexpected" She shrugged. Penelope’s said «OG Baby Girl»

"Pen’s is not unexpected either. But why does mine say _sapiosexual_?" You wondered out loud.

"Well, knowing your taste in men, you can’t be surprised either." You looked at them asking for clarification, but the three women simply turned their heads towards Spencer’s table, and then it dawned on you. 

"Pfff, I don’t have a crush on him. Why would you say that?!"

Just then Spencer sat at his desk and turned his chair towards you and said "Hey, Zoe. Did you hear there’s going to be a Studio Gibli festival at the Dunbar theater next week? It’s all in Japanese, though"

Without being able to stop yourself, you hand shot to your hair and you started playing with the ends of our ponytail as you answered: "I saw it on Facebook. I could come with you and translate if you want?" He smiled and nodded, then turned to carefully sip his overly-sugary coffee. When you were able to tear your eyes from him, you noticed the remaining bad bitches of the BAU looking at you, with a knowing look in their eyes.

"Oh, shut up" you rolled your eyes and tried to focus your sight on the bottom of your coffee cup to avoid their giggles. After that, everyone more or less went on to start their day. Garcia went to her cave, and you took the pile of pending files you kept in the first drawer of your desk. Once you had gone through the third folder, however, Rossi’s voice boomed from the edge of the bullpen, breaking your concentration, but also saving you from the boring paperwork.

"Children, we have a case" Rossi announced.

You made our way to the conference room, only to see Garcia dressed head-to-toe in ski gear. It’s one of those full-body suits, like in the eighties. It’s all bright pink with two neon stripes that go from her hips to her underarms. She’s paired it with a pompom wool hat, also neon yellow. You can see drops of sweat have started falling down her temples, and her mascara is smudging slightly from the heat. You have no idea how she managed to pass that through security without them confiscating that bloody outfit. You also don’t know when she had time to get a briefing on the case with Hotch _and_ get changed into that thing. 

"Penelope… are you okay?" You asked as soon as you saw her.

"This is a hint to see if anyone can guess where the next case is taking us. I’ll give a lollipop to the first person who can guess it correctly" She chimed, seemingly unfazed by the sweat or the amused looks she was getting from the team.

"The Alps!" Prentiss shouted.

"The Andes!" Morgan went.

"The Pyrenees!" Reid suggested.

"It’s Aspen, isn’t it?" You said, with a smug face.

"Ding! Ding! Ding! The beautiful sapiosexual wins the lollipop!" Garcia throws you the candy and you catch it mid-air, elbowing Spencer on the ribs as he was trying to take it from you. Just as he was trying to attack you back with tickles, Hotch entered the room.

"Everyone, please settle down, we have 3 people dead in the past three weeks and the fourth one was just discovered an hour ago" He announced.

"It’s all happening in the Aspen Highlands Ski Resort, population of approximately 7 thousand very rich people" Garcia continued.

"Victimology seems all over the place: men, women, young, and old" Rossi was the first to focus back on the case.

"Yes, that’s why they didn’t suspect the incident until the third victim… and when the fourth one showed up they called us" Hotch went on.

"However, COD was the same in every case: they were stabbed multiple times in the chest by what seems to be—"

"Ski poles?! Are you for real?" Derek cuts.

" _Mais, oui, mon cherie._ Turns out skiing isn’t for everyone, even when you live in a ski resort. They’re expecting you in Aspen. Pack warm clothes, the weather forecasts a snowstorm in a couple of days" Garcia concluded.

"You’re coming as well, Garcia. If the snowstorm hits, we’ll need your databases on site" Hotch corrected her. "Just… maybe leave the suit here?"


	2. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some turbulence on your way to Aspen help you come to terms with your feelings

Having Garcia on the jet is both exciting and weird at the same time. You’ve gotten used to seeing her on the screen so much that now, in person, she almost sticks out like a sore thumb against the subdued tones of the inside of the cabin. She really is the pop of color in your lives.

"While we wait for take-off, Garcia do you know if the victims had crossed paths recently?" Hotch started.

"Well, Sir, Aspen being such a small town, there is too much overlap to have anything stick out" she answered.

"Aspen has some of the most expensive real-estate in the whole of the United States, so the population has to be low risk for the unsub. Besides, there’s hardly any locals, most of the residencies are vacation houses" Spencer explained.

"Hey, speaking of vacation. Rossi, didn’t you have a house in Aspen?" You interrupt, just as you feel the jolt of the plane taking off.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about" He said, squinting his eyes at you. He could see your intentions from a mile away.

"Don’t lie, Rossi, I handled your renovations when you wanted to add an extension a few years back" Derek countered with a smirk.

"Well, then it would be a shame to go to Aspen and not check up on your house, you know? Check that it’s still standing and no one broke in while you were away?" You pushed.

"Ugh, okay. I’m going to regret saying this but, in the spirit of the holiday season… Would you all like to stay in my townhouse, instead of the crappy motel?" Dave conceded. You all whooped and cheered in agreement.

"Did I hear sleepover?!" Prentiss exclaimed, siting up.

"Garcia, the onesies you got us couldn’t have come at a better time" JJ said.

"I know, right? She has the gift of opportunity, darling" She gushes at herself.

Hotch told us how he wanted you to hit the ground running, so Rossi left you to go sit down away from the rest and started making some calls to the people handling the care of his house in Aspen, telling them to get everything ready for when you arrived. The flight was a good four hours long, so you had plenty of time to discuss everything you knew from the case so far, and chill for the remaining of the flight. When everyone had settled, you decided to get up and make yourself a cup of coffee. _It’s too cold and too little sleep, I can’t function clearly,_ You think while you make your way to the kitchenette at the back of the cabin. Spencer is already there, leaning casually on the counter and attacking the remains of a rainbow-sprinkled donut he always seems to have nearby.

"Isn’t that your third cup? It’s only, what, 9 in the morning?" You asked him.

"If that’s just your way of saying that I’m addicted to coffee, it’s too late, I'm sorry" He smirked and you just about melted into a puddle right there. Spencer Reid rarely holds eye-contact for longer than a millisecond, but in the rare occasion that he does, it makes you feel like he has your complete and full attention.

"Hey, Spence, I think you ate your doughnut a bit too aggressively. You have something… there" you said, pointing at a rogue sprinkle that’s currently on his cheek. He tried to swat it away, but on the wrong side of his face.

"Now?"

"No, the other…ow!" You start, but suddenly the plane shakes, and you’re projected forward, crashing into Spencer’s face. Just as you're trying to recover from that first jump, another one overtakes the plane, but before you fall, you feel his hands grip your sides with incredible strength. You tried to grab his shoulders to steady yourself, but your hands ended up on the cabinets next to his head, and it almost looked like you were hugging.

"Are you okay?" He rasped while watching you closely for any injury, seemingly unfazed by your proximity. _He’s a mouth breather_ , you thought, watching him watch you with his mouth open.

"Just peachy" You answered, trying to step away from his grasp, but his grip on you only tightened. You looked up at him with a question in your eyes.

"You have something…" He brought one of his hands to the tip of your nose, and pinched at something. "There, not anymore"

He showed you what it was, and you saw that the stray sprinkle that was on his cheek had landed on your nose after the turbulence.

"Do you think I should blow on it and make a wish?" You whispered.

"What?" He said, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Never mind" You stepped away from him successfully this time, and thought against getting coffee. You didn’t need the heat anymore, for it was all concentrated on your face. Instead, you went to find a spot to sit next to Emily, who was playing chess with Rossi on the four-seat table.

"You okay? We heard a ruckus coming from the kitchen" Emily said. You just nodded and laid your head on her shoulder. Your heart was still beating fast, and your thoughts kept drifting to Spencer. On how his hands were capable of holding you so tight, but being so gentle at the same time, and on how much your hands wanted to play with the mop of curls that formed on top of his head now that he had it so short on the sides. On how much you wanted to unbutton his-

"Coffee?" The smell of caffeine and someone leaving a cup on the table saved you from your thoughts. You looked up, only to see it was the very same source of those thoughts who had whisked you back to reality. Reid sat in front of you and started to watch the game of chess, trying not to tell Rossi and Prentiss what to do in every move.

"Thanks" You said, half of your face buried inside the cup, and you kept your eyes on the game of chess as well, although your mind was far away.

_Do I have a crush on Spencer Reid? Possibly. Is it only because of his brain, like the girls say?_ You ran your gaze from his head to his crinkled nose, from his naked forearms to his fingers, and felt your face get all warm again. _Definitely not. How long has this been going on without me realizing?_ Then you tried not to think back to that fateful morning, almost a year ago, when he came into the office looking like he had just jumped out from a boyband rehearsal. Everyone laughed at his new haircut, mostly because of Hotch’s joke, but you couldn’t do anything but ogle at him. _A WHOLE YEAR?! JJ, Emily and Penny knew before me?_

You covered your face with both your hands.

_Well, fuck._

————————————

As soon as you stepped out of the plane, your Christmas Spirit rose through the roof. Aspen looked exactly like a Christmas movie town, with the snowed mountains in the background, and all the lights that could be seen from afar. Even the small tarmac where the jet landed had Christmas lights all around the walls. It looked idyllic. Just then, a gust of wind flew around you and you snuggled into your scarf.

"For the love of everything holy… this is colder than a penguin’s funeral!" Rossi exclaimed.

"Then why did you buy a house here?" You turned to him as you made your way down the steps of the jet.

"Well, my Caroline wanted one because she loved skiing. Then, after the divorce, I never got around to selling it. I come here to write, mostly" He shouted over the engine’s noise.

You all got in SUVs and divided between the multiple points to cover: Spencer and Morgan went to the latest crime scene; Rossi and Prentiss went to the Medical Examiner, and Garcia, JJ, Hotch and you went to set up at the precinct.

The victims were all of different age groups and even different races, they seemed completely random, just like Rossi noticed. However, in a place like this, straight from a snow globe, where everyone was a low-risk victim and everyone was nice to each other, there was too much over-lapping to even begin to search anything. You sat on the table next to Garcia, while you watched how Hotch set up the murders in chronological order and wrote down everything you knew about the victims.

The first one to die was Alexander Abernathy, 45 years old. He was in his house alone when it happened. The next one to die had been Brett Binford, 73. He was killed coming back from an evening at the bingo. Then Candace Churchwell, 24, killed in her house as well, and this morning’s victim was Diane Di Pinto, 56, who was killed in her backyard. There was something clearly bugging you from all the victims and all the crime scenes, but you couldn’t place your finger on what, so you got up to examine the photos from the crime scenes from up close.

Both the first and the second victim seemed to have been carrying what looked like the telephone catalog. _Nobody uses the telephone catalog anymore… we have the internet for that._ Although they were both much older than you, so maybe they didn’t have internet at home.

"Hey, Garcia, can you find out if the victims had internet installed in their houses?" You inquired, never moving your eyes from the photos.

"Yes, give me a sec" She typed and clicked in her laptop, and thirty seconds later said, "They all did. Why?"

"All of them?" She nodded. _Then there’s no need for a telephone catalog… that makes it a very obvious coincidence._ "Can I see the remaining photos from the third crime scene?"

Garcia turned her laptop toward you so she could show you the photos. After looking for a couple of minutes, you saw it: on her coffee table, Candace Churchwell had a telephone catalog. You stood suddenly and reached for your phone.

"What’s up, Zoe?" Reid said from the other side of the line.

"Have you arrived at the crime scene, yet?" you panted, your blood rushing through your veins with anticipation to prove your theory.

"Yeah, we just got here, why?"

"Okay, this is going to sound weird, but, can you see a telephone catalog anywhere near the body?"

"Hold on, let me check" He was quiet for a couple of minutes, and you heard some rustling, and him talking to Morgan to help him look around. After nearly a minute, his voice came back to your ears.

"We found one. What’s your theory?"

_"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"_ you muttered out loud, more to yourself than anyone else.

"Sherlock Holmes. Zoe, what are you thinking?" He repeated.

"I think I know what the unsub is doing and how we can stop him" 


	3. The ABC Murders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe Harris reads cozy mysteries and thrillers on her free time, because she doesn't have enough murder in her life, apparently. This time, however, it might be what saves the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer than usual because I wanted to wrap up the case before moving on with the Christmas shenanigans, so thank you in advance for bearing with me! Happy Reading! <3

"Okay, I’m gonna need you to bear with me for this, because it’s quite a long explanation, and it has to do with a book" You started, and it kind of felt like when you were back in high school, presenting your assignment to the class. 

After speaking with Spencer on the phone, the team reunited as soon as they were done at their locations. Now you have them all sitting in the conference room, waiting for you to explain what the hell is going on.

"Okay, are any of you familiar with the works of Mrs. Agatha Christie?" They all look at you as if you’d gone crazy. "You know, _And Then There Were None_? Hercule Poirot? _Murder on the Orient Express_?" You carried on, getting more and more exasperated with the lack of reaction from all of your colleagues.

"We know who Agatha Christie is, babe, but do you think we read crime novels for fun after we’re done with our very real crimes?" Morgan scoffed.

"I don’t know! I do! And so does our unsub. Anyway, exhibit A, look at the names of all the victims: Alex Abernathy, Brett Binford, Candace Churchwell and Diane Di Pinto. What does that tell you, my fellow crime fighters?"

"They’re all in alphabetical order" Reid murmured, eyes and mouth agape.

"Right you are, brainiac. Now, that alone was irking me when I read it, and I knew I had seen that before, but the apparition of exhibit B, the telephone guides near all the victims, was the cherry on top that confirmed my theory" You were quiet for a second for dramatic effect.

"Harris, we don’t have all day" Hotch said.

"Right, ski poles, murder. Well, I had seen it before, in an Agatha Christie novel. It’s called _The ABC Murders_ , and I guess you can tell why. In it, the murderer is trying to mask the killing of his brother amongst a series of random murders that follow alphabetical order. He leaves letters to the police taunting them and driving them on a wild goose chase while he inserts himself in the investigation to lead it away from him. He also leaves a telephone guide next to his victims to keep the taunting and tries to pin the murders on a poor man suffering from schizophrenia" you explained.

"And how far does the killer go until he kills his brother?" Prentiss asked, completely into the theory.

"The killer is found right after the fifth killing. His brother was the third, but he continued killing because he was getting off on taunting the police" You told her.

"Which means that, if you’re not wrong, and you rarely are, there’s still another killing left, and it will be someone with the initials E. E.?" JJ concluded.

"And chances are the police have already interviewed the unsub" Morgan added. You nodded and then looked at Hotch, waiting for his response.

"Okay, in that case we have a profile to deliver. Garcia, I need you to start compiling a list of everyone with the initials E. E. in Aspen. Harris, could you explain this again to the local police?"

"Sure, no problem. Garcia, hon, can you also re-examine the list of people close to the victims who also live here in Aspen, but with this theory in mind? See if anything pops out, and if not I’ll have a look with you with it when I’m done delivering the profile" You assured her.

The team left Garcia with her screens and keyboards and went to deliver the profile with Morgan and the others. Reid was leading the way, and you kept trying not to sneak glances at him and how snug shirt and vest were around his shoulders. Now that you had admitted your feelings to yourself, it was proving very difficult to keep them in check. You tried your best to focus on the profile since you’d be leading the presentation, so that seemed to help. After you wrapped it up, you went back to the conference room to see what Garcia found out.

"Wha’cha cookin’, good-lookin’?" You teased.

"Aw hon, you’re hot and spicy, but only Derek Morgan can taste what I’m cooking" she managed to flirt both with you and Morgan at the same time, and it had you both rolling back with laughter. "Alright, my snow angels, there is a total of three people in Aspen with the initials you’re looking for: Edward Evans, Elenanor Emerson, and Eileen Ewing"

"That should be easy to manage. We’ll divide between all the houses with the officers, we don’t know where he might strike next. Reid, take Morgan and Harris and go to the Evans’ house. Prentiss, you and Rossi go to Emerson’s, and JJ and I will go to the Ewing’s" Hotch ordered.

"Also, Garcia, did you strike any luck with the relatives of the victims?" You asked her while you bundled up for the snow.

"No, sorry, there’s either no relatives or everyone seems to check out" She frowned.

"That's okay. Well, in the book the killer doesn’t live with the brother, he’s in town visiting. Can you see if there’s any paper trail of people coming in to Aspen lately to visit any victim?"

"I’ll get on it and call you if I find anything!"

A new wave of snow had started to fall while you were on your way to the Evans’ house, and you hoped it wouldn’t get any worse, or it would put you in disadvantage with the unsub. If they are from Aspen or live here, they clearly know the terrain, even with snow. When you got to their house, you only found Mrs. Evans, who said her husband had gone out to buy some groceries.

"Alright, I’ll go get Mr. Evans and escort him back so the unsub can’t get to him on the way" Morgan announced.

You then decided that Reid and Deputy Rowland would go to talk with Mrs. Evans, while Morgan was gone, and you would go to set up a perimeter with the other deputy from Aspen Police, Leslie Mills. 

"So, SSA Zoe Harris, can I call you Zoe?" He asked, all charm, as soon as you two were left alone.

"No, Agent Harris is okay, please" You shut him down quickly, with a polite smile on.

" _Agent Harris_ , then. Do you think that the killer will attack one of these men? How do you know he doesn’t already know you’re waiting for him?"

"Well, we haven’t made any announcements to the press yet, so hopefully your colleagues haven’t blabbed about that to anyone. We’re hoping we’ll get the upper hand. If not, maybe they’ll panic and will have to adapt. That’s when they make mistakes" You deftly explained.

"In that case, you’re confident you’re near catching him? You’ve barely been here for a day" he snickered.

"I mean, it was lucky that we were able to put the details resembling the novel so quickly. They were rather obvious, really"

"Oh yeah, right, the book. You were the one who put it together, right? You must be very clever" he stated, looking at you up and down. You held his gaze, sizing him up. Thankfully, just then, your phone rang and Garcia’s ID showed on the screen.

"Hey, Garcia, what do you have?"

"Well, I got so deep into these people’s pasts I think I may have reached the center of the Earth, and let me tell you, it is hot down here"

"Really? Hold on, I can’t hear you very well" You gestured to Mills that you were stepping out to the backyard, just to put some distance with him. By then the backyard was covered in a good few inches of snow. When you were sure that no one could hear you, you got back to Garcia on the phone.

"Okay, tell me"

"I tried looking into people coming into Aspen for a visit, but no one remotely tied to the victims. However, then I thought of pulling a reverse on this and checked if any of the victims had moved here recently. And then I found that a woman fitting the description of Candace Churchwell arrived to Aspen last fall with his new husband"

"Where’s our husband?"

"Now ex-husband. Candace Churchwell is her maiden name. Her marriage certificate was with the name Candace Mills, married to Leslie Mills"

Deputy Leslie Mills. The same Leslie Mills that was waiting for you back inside, with a gun and every access to Reid and Mrs. Evans. Your blood ran cold and left your frozen on the spot.

"Why did she divorce him?"

"I see a few trips to the ER for injuries that look consistent with domestic abuse, but everything was in his name and last name, so it didn’t pop-up on my initial search. She never reported it, either. She filed for divorce 3 weeks ago"

"And the bastard is in the police, so no one would have believed her. The divorce was clearly the trigger. Okay, Garcia, you need to call Reid and tell him the same you told me. And fast"

You quickly hanged up and reached for your gun, but couldn’t finish unholstering it because just then you felt a sharp pain by your temple and everything went black.

—————————

When you started coming back into consciousness, you felt incredibly cold and couldn't feel one side of your face. As you opened your eyes and started to take in your surroundings, the first thing you saw was Morgan’s face.

"Felt like taking a nap on the snow?" He snickered.

"It just looked so fluffy" you answered, still confused, but you couldn’t stop from bantering back. Suddenly then the whole conversation with Garcia came back to your mind and you sat up fast and alert. "Where’s Reid? Inspector Mills, he’s, he’s…" Your head was pounding the side of your skull hurt.

"Pretty Boy is okay, Garcia called him just in time. We got Mills" you exhaled in relief, and took the hand that Morgan was offering you to stand up.

He then helped you walk around to the front of the house, where a fleet of police cars and ambulances were parked. You kept searching for a familiar face amongst the crowd, until your eyes landed on Spencer. As soon as he saw you two, he came rushing towards you.

"Hey, how are you feeling? Is the light too bright? Or are you feeling dizzy? Do you need help to walk?" He stammered as he placed both hands on the sides of your head and neck, studying you for injuries.

"Too many questions at once, doc. My head hurts, but I’m fine. I’m not dizzy. I can walk, see?" You then tried to take a step in the snow, but you stumbled and almost fell. Before you hit the ground however, Spencer and Morgan managed to grab you each under one of your arms. They walked you to the back of the ambulance and sat you down. Spencer had to literally hold you from your arms to keep you still while the paramedic examined you.

"Boys, I’m fine, I promise! Just tell me what happened!" You kept begging. Morgan was about to speak but Spencer cut him.

"No, Morgan. Don’t tell her anything until she sits still and lets the paramedic do her job!" Your eye-roll reached the back of your skull. Spencer could be so over-bearing when it came to the people he cared about, but it just made you feel like a baby, sometimes. With an over-exaggerated sigh, you sat still and let the paramedic take your pressure and finish her examination. While that was happening, you sneaked a glance at Spencer, who looked incredibly smug about you almost dying. But then it hit you, for a lack of better words.

"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" You squinted at him.

"What? Me? Enjoying while I watch you sit still for once? Never" But he was trying to hold his laughter and, against your best efforts, it made you smile.

"You’re despicable" You muttered.

"And you’re cute when you’re angry" he countered. _Did he just call me cute? Let me file_ _this under ‘Even More Reasons To Fall for on Spencer Reid’_.

"Whatever, doctor. I’ve been good, can I hear what happened now?" You said, very glad it was so cold out, because it would hopefully help mask your blush. The ice bag you were holding by your temple was definitely helping. You looked at Morgan, and he looked at Reid, asking for permission, and he in turn gave a small nod and started to explain how, after you had hanged up with Garcia, she had called him and told him everything. This gave Reid time to surprise Mills, but not before he had knocked you out cold on the snow. He caught him basically in the act and cuffed him. He then called for Morgan, who had just gotten there. He then tried to wake you up while Reid handed Mills to the Aspen police.

"So, basically, you didn’t miss much" Morgan finished. His phone rang just then, and put it on speaker for all of you to hear Prentiss’ voice loud and clear.

"Hey, how's Zoe?" She asked before saying anything else.

"I’m fine, Em. Don’t worry, I’m basically bulletproof. Besides, the good doctor here already made sure I got the full treatment"

"The full treatment, huh? Does he give that to all his patients?" She quipped, and you wanted to kill her. You turned to look at Spencer and saw that he was suddenly all red. He cleared his throat to try and diffuse the attention.

"You are at the Mill’s house, right?" He choked.

"Indeed. Let me tell you that this guy was either incredibly confident he wouldn’t get caught, or he was incredibly stupid. He literally has the book Zoe mentioned on his desk, not even hidden. And guess what? It’s full of notes! How is this guy even a police officer?" You heard her rushed voice from the speaker.

"He literally was studying it to get away with murder" Morgan said.

"If that’s what he was doing, he didn’t read the ending… the bad guy gets caught in the end" you scoffed.

"Anyway, I’m just glad we didn’t catch him _after_ his fifth victim, so that’s a win in my book" Prentiss admitted, and though she couldn’t see you, the three of you nodded in agreement.

"We’ll re-group at the Station, then? Maybe we can fly home today, if we’re lucky" Morgan said before hanging up to attend another officer that wanted him to sign some papers. That left you and Spencer alone again, and after Prentiss’ comment, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. Luckily, Spencer sat down next to you on the ledge of the ambulance and broke the silence before it got too awkward.

"Listen, as much as I like to see you annoyed… Just for the record, I was really scared when I saw you laying there, on the snow. You looked so— still" he whispered, his voice almost dying in the end of the sentence. You gently hooked your hand around his bicep to make him turn to look at you.

"Spence, I’m sorry to be the one who has to break it to you, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily" You smiled and held his eye contact, hoping to be reassuring enough for him.

"You promise?" He still looked unconvinced.

"I promise" You agreed, then rested your head on his shoulder, never letting go of his arm, and added "I promise that if I’m ever thinking of suicide by cop, you’ll be the first one to know"

"Don’t you joke about that!" He said shoving you gently with his shoulder, but then he saw your face trying not to laugh and realized you were joking, and laughed as well.

As soon as you got the all OK from the paramedic, Spencer and Morgan escorted you back to the car and drove slowly to the station, trying not to slip with the car on the icy road. The snow didn’t seem to stop, and the piles on the side of the road kept growing and growing.

"Guys, I have a feeling we won’t be able to fly back tonight just yet" you murmured from the back seat. And when JJ said you were rarely wrong, she wasn’t kidding. The first thing you heard when you met the others back at the station was Hotch confirming that,

"The pilot called, the tarmac is frozen, and he can’t lift the plane. We’re gonna have to stay at least one night to see if the ice melts at some point tomorrow"

"Okay, well, let’s make the most of it then. Rossi, is the cabin ready for us?" Prentiss asked, rubbing her hands like a praying mantis.

"The question, my dear children, is are _you_ ready for my _townhouse_? _"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This case is obviously based off the novel by Agatha Christie, The ABC Murders.


	4. Blindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team arrives into Rossi's cabin and the team tries to play matchmaker with you and Reid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the comments <3

The drive into Rossi’s cabin was deafeningly quiet, everyone nervous to see what it looked like. Everyone except Morgan, of course. Aspen seemed to be celebrating the end of the serial killer case, because there were people in the streets sipping from mugs and visiting their neighbors. All the Christmas lights were on, and no house was left without any decorations, no matter how subtle. This whole place looked like a fricking Winter Wonderland. 

"Guys, I think if I ever retire, I might do it out here" you breathed out from the back seat.

"Now you see why I wasn’t able to sell the house?" Rossi uttered, and he watched you slowly nod in agreement. 

At the end of the street, Morgan turned to the right and drove you into what looked like a cul-de-sac with a house at the bottom of it. As the car approached it, you noticed that the house had a couple of steps and a porch in the front yard. The lights were already on. You have no idea how many minions Rossi has, but they managed to decorate the house all Christmassy, and even put a wreath up on the deep red front door. Derek parked in front of the gate, and you all got off the cars dumbfounded with the whole place. You’re all standing with your mouths agape and Hotch, Morgan and Rossi were the only ones that tried to go into the house. When they saw you were not following, and found grounded on the spot, Rossi said:

"I told you. You weren’t ready. Come on, let’s get inside, we’ll cook some dinner" 

The mention of food seemed to defrost you and prompted you to follow the three men inside. If you thought the grandness of the house finished at the front door, you were wrong. This house is huge, and it’s also decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments perfectly calculated. There’s even tinsel running up the stairs going into what Rossi explained later were the rooms and master bathrooms. _Yes, more than one._

"Dave, your house is wonderful. Thank you again for letting us stay here" Hotch said, sincerely. 

"It would really have been a waste to stay at a motel, so don’t even mention it" Rossi admitted. 

"I don’t know about you, but I’m dying for a hot shower. Rossi, can you point me toward the bathroom?" You could still feel the cold in your bones form earlier, although you had already gotten a change of clothes, and were dying to wash the gross water from your hair. 

"Sure, old sport. Upstairs, third room on your right. In there, there’s also the rooms. You’ll have to double up, though. My house is big, but not that big" That picked up Morgan’s attention.

"I’m not sleeping with Reid. So please, Hotch, room up with me?" He pleaded.

" _Plis Hitch rim ip with mi!"_ Spencer mocked, clearly offended.

"Come on, Morgan, don’t be such a baby! I’m sure Spencer is not that terrible" You nudged.

"Well, miss thing, why don’t you sleep with him, then?" His words stopped you in your tracks. 

"I didn’t mean… I don’t think that’s—" you started, trying to salvage the situation.

"Oh, yeah, that’s a great idea! I’ll room with Morgan instead" Garcia cut. 

All color was drained out of your face. Slowly, you directed your gaze to her, and tried to signal her to stop it and take back that idea. 

"It’s, it’s f-fine, Zoe. I’ll just sleep here on the couch, and you can take the room" Spencer mumbled. The poor thing looked like he was about to combust, and you felt so sorry for him. _Besides, if I back out now, it will prove to the girls that I have a crush on Spencer, but to him, it would look like rejection._ And you didn’t want either of those things, so you took a step towards him and put your hand on his arm.

"No, Spence. Don’t worry. Rossi! Is there a bedroom with two separate beds?" You shouted to the host, who had disappeared as soon as the bickering started.

"Yeah, it’s the one next to the bathroom I just told you about. Same floor and everything!" His voice came from the kitchen, along with some tinkering. You turned back to Reid.

"See? Don’t worry, okay? Now, you’ll have to excuse me, but getting banged in the head gets me shower privileges" you finished, and then grabbed your duffle bag and ran up the stairs and into the bathroom before you had to hear any more snark from your team.

After the shower you put your new onesie straight away, and it’s the coziest thing ever. While you were brushing your hair, you heard someone knocking on the door.

"Yeah?" You shouted.

"Can I come in?" Came’s Reid’s voice from the other side of the door. You grabbed the handle and opened it to his pretty face looking at you from behind his nerdy glasses.

"Sure, I’ll finish my hair in the room while you shower and then head downstairs" you said on your way out. Yours and Spencer’s room is the one right next to the bathroom, and it almost fits your whole apartment in it. _The whole team could have slept in this room, and we still would have had space for one more_. 

You started to unpack a bit of the clothes, especially the wet ones, to see if they’d be dry by morning. Just then your phone rang, and you saw your mum’s face on the screen.

" _Moshi moshi_ , mom!" Since she taught you how to answer the phone in Japanese when you were a kid, it’s become the only way you can pick up the phone when it’s her or your sister.

" _Moshi moshi_ , honey. How are you? I haven’t heard of you since last week, you had me worried!" Her voice always sounded higher when she was talking to you on the phone. She wasn’t particularly fond of your career path, since the FBI doesn’t really go with the cooking career she expected of her first-born.

"I’m okay, mom. I’m sorry I haven’t checked up on you before, it was because we basically had two cases back-to-back. And now we’re stranded in Aspen because there’s too much ice in the roads and the jet can’t take off" you usually tried to check up on her at least once a week and sent her texts whenever you couldn’t call her, but you had barely gotten any sleep in the past two cases, which hadn’t gone unnoticed by her.

"You sound like you haven’t been sleeping, honey. Maybe you should take some days off"

"I know, mom, but I’m going to take a break for Christmas, aren’t I?"

"Well, technically, it’ll only be like 3 days. I’m talking about a longer holiday, a trip. Why don’t you go visit your Grandma in Japan?"

"Japan?! I’d need like three weeks for that, mother. I can’t take that much time off"

"I’ll end up convincing you to take more than a few days off, you’ll see. Anyway, you’re still coming to dinner on Christmas Eve?"

"Sure you will. It kind of depends on the ice melting in time, but I’m going to try my hardest. Listen, mom, I gotta go now, they’re waiting for me downstairs"

"Okay, honey, well, you take care of yourself, and keep me posted! _Matane_!"

" _Matane!"_

As soon as you hanged up on her, the door opened, only to reveal a very nude Spencer Reid sneaking into the room wearing only a towel around his waist and his glasses. His hair was still dripping all over the floor. As soon as he turned around and saw you, he almost jumped out of his skin.

"OH, MY GOD, REID!" You shouted and covered your eyes with your hands. 

"I didn’t know you were in the room!" He shouted back.

"Why are you naked?!"

"Someone stole my clothes from the bathroom!" _Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. This, they will pay for this. If they prank me, or put me in the spot, okay. But messing up with Spencer it’s taking it too far._

"It’s— I believe you. I’ll just… leave" you said, and stood up to leave. While you had your eyes covered, however, Spencer had moved closer to you than you expected. That’s why, when you turned around, your body crashed against Spencer’s wet torso. 

"Oh, God. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—" You sputtered, completely flustered, and then aimed better for the door and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen before he could open his mouth.

"Hey. Everything alright? You look like you’ve seen a nearly naked Spencer Reid" Emily smirked.

"You are all the absolute worst! Look, just because I may or may not have a little crush on a certain doctor, it doesn’t mean that you have to behave like a bunch or ninth-graders! Even Henry and Jack would act more mature than you! Stealing his clothes so he would come naked into the room YOU tricked us INTO SHARING? Could you be a bigger cliché?" You said, breathless and feeling your heart pounding on your chest. 

That, however, only seemed to entertain your audience further. 

"So you do have a crush on the good doctor" Morgan snickered.

"I won’t confirm nor deny" You crossed your arms and leaned on the kitchen isle.

"Alright, kids, I’m invoking the Spirit of Christmas to ask you to cut Reid and Zoe some slack. I need my sous-chef in one piece" Rossi said, then dragged you by the hand around the same isle you were leaning on and handed you a knife.

"Hey, we offered to help, but you wouldn’t let us!" JJ protested.

"That’s because I can only trust Hotch and Zoe with my expensive ingredients. Besides, why would I go for the average cooks, when I can have the help of an expert?" He elaborated. The smirk on your face grew watching the offended looks of your teammates.

"What do you mean, an expert?" Spencer’s voice came from the kitchen door. Everyone looked around toward the sound of his voice, including yourself. He was wearing a full set of pajamas with an FBI-issued sweatshirt over it, zipped half up. 

"Wait, didn’t you know that Zoe’s mum was a chef from Japan?" Rossi wondered.

"Ah, she’s a Michelin-star chef, now. She was awarded her first star last year" You pointed out. 

"Good for her!" Rossi cheered.

"Well, her mum may be a chef, but she’s not" Prentiss puffed.

"She taught me everything she knows about cooking, knives included" you explained, as you made a show of rotating the massive knife in your hand, just like a cowboy would with his pistol. 

"Alright, ninja chef. Remind me not to mess with you while handling that thing!" Morgan begs.

"Exactly. That’ll teach you all to behave" and you pointed the knife at them with a maniacal smile.

For a while, the team watched as you, Rossi and Hotch tinkered about in the kitchen and prepared a quick carbonara à la Rossi. The three of you made the perfect team; finely preparing every ingredient and passing it to the next person with perfect timing. It looked like you had been working in a kitchen together for way longer than just a couple of minutes.

"Do you ever wonder who the favorite child in the family is?" Emily whispered to the rest of them.

"I don’t need to. I already know it’s me" Garcia answered, one hundred percent sure. The rest of them, however, simply looked at her and said in usnison "Wrong"

Garcia looked ad them dumbfounded, then she looked at you and said "HER?"

"I may be their favorite, but you’re my fave, Penny" You sweetly said, and that seemed to appease her.

The two men and you finished plating all the spaghetti and handed everyone a plate, then took it to the dinning room. There, a perfectly-set table stood magnificently with 8 chairs around it. It looked like you were in an extension of the house, and one of the walls was a glass door that led to the backyard. The snow kept falling heavily, and it didn’t seem to want to stop anytime soon. 

Each seat had a little tag with your names on it, so everyone followed the instructions and sat accordingly. Unsurprisingly, your seat was next to Spencer’s, and when you looked up and saw JJ’s smirk, your suspicions were confirmed. There was foul play, here. Again. Before you could make a comment about it, however, Hotch appeared from behind you and placed a glass of wine in front of your plate. You looked up at him and mouthed a small thanks while he sat next to you.

"Everyone, before we dig in, I’d like to make a toast to a successful case" Hotch announced.

"To a successful case!" Everyone echoed, clinking their glasses. Afterwards, everyone was eager to start eating and conversation died while you’re had your mouths full of food.

—————

"So, Pretty Boy, how does it feel to be outsmarted by Hurricane Harris?" Morgan teased.

"Who says I was outsmarted?" Reid asked, and you could see a small crease between his brows.

"Uhm, last time I checked, she guessed the location of the murders, which got her a lollipop. And she pretty much solved the whole case single-handedly within 24 hours" Hotch offered. 

"Well, first, she guessed the location because we were just throwing stupid answers. And second of all, she just got lucky with the case" he stated. Your innate reaction to his words was to smack his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" He whined, rubbing his arm.

"Don’t you dare undermine my intelligence!" 

"I wasn’t! I think your intelligence is directly proportional to your beauty, which is no small feat. Nevertheless, you have to admit that it was very lucky that you had read the same book the unsub chose to imitate. Besides, you were able to outsmart me because I don’t tend to read fiction, or else I would have picked up on it too, maybe even earlier than you did" he concluded, proud of himself.

"Well, maybe if you read more fiction that’s not from the 16th Century, gorgeous. But you don’t, so, tough" You stuck your tongue at him like a toddler.

"Perhaps. But you also need to quit your crime-fighting addiction, sweetie. It’s unbecoming" _what an un-Spencer thing to say._ He stuck his tongue out back. In return, you poked his ribs and he almost dropped his fork. He tried to retaliate, and it sent you both into a fit of giggles.

Spencer Reid, just as clever and sometimes introverted as he was, could never resist your charms. Even when his ego was secretly a bit damaged after being outsmarted by you in front of the team. A team which, in turn, couldn’t care less about that, because they were all engrossed watching you call each other _gorgeous, and beautiful_ without realizing what was really going on. Both of you seemed blind to the other’s body language, so you couldn’t see how clearly obvious your feelings were to everyone else.


	5. Party Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BAU completely disregards Rossi's demand of cutting you and Spencer some slack.

After the plates were cleared and washed, you all sat back at the table and finished your bottles of wine, chatting about this and that. It was mostly about memories from times past and the best moments shared with your teammates.

Suddenly, Rossi got up from his chair and everyone went quiet.

"Well, my dear children, it’s way past my bedtime. I need my beauty sleep" he announced.

"Yeah, I should head upstairs, and Skype Jack before I go to bed" Hotch concurred. The rest of you sunk in your chairs, deflated looking at the perspective of an early night. Rossi read the room and waved his hands to try to reassure you.

"The fact that Hotch and I are going to bed doesn’t mean you _rugrats_ have to go as well. You have access to my drink cabinet, take what you want. But! Don’t you dare touch anything from the cellar, or I’ll make Hotch discount it from your paycheck" he warned you. Then him and Hotch left the room and went upstairs. As soon as you heard their doors shutting, Garcia turned to all of you with an excited expression in her face.

"Guys, we should play some drinking games and get sloshed!"

"Come on, Baby Girl, aren't we a bit old for that?" Morgan whined.

"I think we should! It’ll be fun! Besides, there are still a lot of things I don’t know about you, guys!" You insisted.

"It is settled, then! Let’s grab a couple of bottles of what Rossi considers to be cheap wine, go to the TV room, and let’s do this!" Garcia continued. That left the others not much choice but to follow your «Sapiosexual» and «OG Baby Girl» tags to the couches. You all settled in a circle around each other, with the coffee table in the middle of the circle. Morgan, Reid, and Emily were seating in a large sofa, and JJ was sprawled on the loveseat. Garcia and you sat on the floor, looking toward them.

"Alright. Should we start with a good ol’ Truth or Dare?" Garcia suggested.

"Go on, then, me first. Garcia, do you choose truth or dare?" Emily started.

"Truth" Prentiss seemed to ponder a moment.

"Have you and Morgan ever done anything other than flirt? And don’t try to lie, you were the one who suggested we play this" She questioned, leaning toward her, leaning her elbows on her knees.

"I can confirm that Derek and I have shared a bed, and will do it again tonight, but never sexually. I believe we kissed once, when I needed him to get rid of a very sticky guy that was talking to me in a bar… but I was very drunk, so it’s all kinda blurry" She explained, and glanced over at Derek, who nodded to confirm what she had said.

"That guy was gross, and even when he saw all of this —he flexed both his arms and kissed his biceps—he still wouldn’t let go of her!" He elaborated. Everyone laughed at Morgan’s obvious vanity, but whistled to the confirmation that Garcia and him had kissed before.

"Right, now me. Zoe Harris: truth or dare?" Garcia turned to you.

"You scare me, but truth" you recoiled a bit at all the attention from everyone.

"Hmm, who do you have a crush on, at this very moment?" Her eyebrows giggled with mischief.

"You’re evil! Can I switch to dare?" You said. Little did you know, you had just dug your whole a lot deeper.

"We’re playing like that, huh? Okay… Zoe Harris, I dare you to sit on Reid’s lap for the remaining of the game. And you cannot go back to truth… in case you were considering it"

"WHAT?" You both exclaimed, your voice all strangled with panic.

"I dare you to sit on Reid’s lap for the rest of the game. Chop chop! We don’t have all night" she prompted, full of smug.

Fighting a blush that was creeping up from your neck, you turned to Reid and stood up carefully.

"Are… you… may I?" He quickly nodded and focused his gaze anywhere but on your face. You took a step toward him and quickly positioned yourself with your legs on either side of his, your back to him. Then you sat down slowly and let him put one of his arms around your waist to keep you from sliding.You could feel the heat of his skin through your onesie, and it felt almost grounding against your stomach.

"Are you comfortable?" You asked him over your shoulder.

"Quite comfortable, y-yeah. You?" he whispered, meeting your eyes and watched you nod.

"Alright, Zo; your turn" JJ started.

"Hm, Emily, truth or dare?"

"Dare"

"Are you sure? I’m quite drunk and pissed off at all your teasing, so I plan on being very cheeky" you warned.

"I can handle it. Shoot!"

"Alright, I dare you to take a shot from JJ’s cleavage without using your hands"

"What cleavage?" JJ dead-panned, and it sent you all cackling. By that point I think everyone but Spencer was at least tipsy, so it didn’t take much convincing for Emily to run to the kitchen and grab one of Rossi’s whiskey bottles and a few shot glasses and set everything for her dare.

You all whooped and cheered as you watched Emily lower her face to JJ’s chest and grab the shot-glass with her teeth and down the liquid like her life depended on it. When she finished and dropped the glass on the coffee table, she looked at you defiantly and sat back on the couch, looking red in the face, not necessarily from the alcohol.

"Okay, I give my turn to JJ" Emily hiccuped.

"Okay… Spence, truth or dare?" She quickly decided

"Truth"

"Are you a virgin?" She went.

"I, what makes you think that?"

"You have to answer directly or switch to dare, Spence. That’s how it works" JJ pushed.

"Okay, then I choose dare" Everyone was impressed that he’d choose not to answer, but he looked so pale that no one discussed it.

"I dare you to tell me whether you’re a virgin or not" 

"Isn’t that cheating?" He said, panic appearing on his face.

"Technically? No" Morgan snickered. You felt Spencer hide his face behind your back and smush his cheek against the hood of your onesie.

"Come on, genius, get a move on!" Garcia pushed.

You felt some vibration coming from your back and a small noise coming from Spencer’s throat.

"What was that?" You mumbled.

"I said _no_ " came his voice a little clearer. Everyone’s faces blossomed with surprise upon hearing what you guessed was the opposite of what they were expecting.

"And who was the lucky lady?" Morgan asked.

"None of your business. Morgan, truth or dare?" He mumbled against your hood, still hiding.

"Truth"

"Is it true you that you bought an engagement ring on the day you first went out with Savannah?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Hey! I confided in you and this is how you repay me?!" Morgan spat, clearly annoyed. However, the rest of the girls just cooed and sighed collectively at him.

"Derek! That’s really cute!" Emily said over everyone’s voices.

"Anyway, let’s forget about it, it’s not like I’m gonna give it to her any time soon, or ever! Why don’t we change the game? Let’s play Never Have I Ever, that way we’re all at stake"

Everyone seemed to agree and Emily set shot glasses in front of each of you. When she got to Spencer and you however, she realized you were still on his lap.

"Uhm, Zoe…? The game is over. You can get off Reid’s lap, now" That woke you up from your trance and made you notice as well where you were.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, right" you said, untangling Spencer’s hand from your waist and going back to your seat on the floor by Garcia’s side.

"Ready? I’ll start again" Prentiss said. "Never have I ever been considered a sapiosexual" Emily smirked. You rolled your eyes and groaned.

"Okay, you keep saying that. What is that word supposed to mean?" Derek cut, perplexed.

" _One who finds the content’s of someone else's mind to be their most attractive attribute"_ Spencer accurately described.

"Oooh, that’s why your onesie… oh, I get it now" he laid back on the couch, finally up to speed. You looked at him and groaned again, but took a shot. Then you looked over at Spencer, who was coyly taking his shot. You squinted your eyes, a silent question to the doctor to elaborate.

"Oh, come on, you can’t be surprised" he said, almost choking on the whiskey burning down his throat, but liked his lips in the end. You chuckled in spite of yourself.

"Okay, doctor. Now it’s your turn, give us a statement" you prompted. He scrunched his nose, deep in thought.

"Never have I ever been kissed" he said, in the end. Everyone groaned in protest.

"You just chose a very obvious one!" JJ said.

"I chose one that would provide the highest chance of everyone drinking" he proudly answered. "Now, drink"

You all downed the shots and pulled faces with the burning sensation in your throats as the whiskey passed.

"Okay, I have one! I have one!" Garcia raised her hand all eager. "Never have I ever had a crush on someone in the unit" and she turns to watch your reaction. _That’s it, this has gone too far._ You down your shot and practically slam the glass on the table.

"That’s it. I’ve had enough. If you’re gonna keep asking questions below the belt, I’m not playing" you stood up and looked around at the team, who’d gone all quiet. 

In all the shock, your eyes laid on Spencer, and again you saw him casually taking his shot, but with his eyes locked on yours. _He can’t be drinking his shot by mistake, can he?_ It could be anything at this point. _Then again, he could mean JJ. They did go on a date, eons ago, even if JJ never seemed to openly return those feelings._

"I need some air" you uttered, and left for the sliding doors leading to the snowy backyard. You sat in a rocking bench, and curled with your knees to your chest. 

The cold was actually good for your flaming skin, both from the alcohol and the embarrassment. The snow had piled up to the bottom steps of the porch in Rossi’s backyard, so it looked like the house was built on the actual snow, or on a cloud. In contrast to the shouting and faint jazz music playing inside, out here every sound was muffled by the piles of snow. All that peace and quiet helped to steady your pounding heart. Everything was so quiet, however, that the sound of the sliding door opening startled you. 

You turned your head toward a Spencer Reid carrying a massive blanket rumpled in his arms. 

"I thought you might need this. Do you mind if I keep you company? We don’t have to talk or anything" he hesitated. You shrugged and motioned for him to join you. 

He walked around the rocking bench and sat to your right, then draped the blanket over both of your shoulders. You scooted toward him slightly, but didn’t say a thing. You both remain silent, looking at the white land in front of you and letting Spencer’s legs rock the bench back and forth. 

All of that swinging was starting to making you sleepy and drowsy, which made you slowly lean more and more on Spencer, until you felt a shiver run down your spine. 

"You okay? Need more blanket?" Spencer whispered, trying not to disturb the peaceful night.

"Just peachy" you bit back. Spencer seemed to catch your sarcasm, but chose to ignore it. He simply rearranged himself on the bench and lifted his left arm to wrap it around your shoulders to bring you to him. He was so warm, you couldn’t help but snuggle into his warmth. He didn't seem bothered at all by your proximity... probably the alcohol kept his brain from overthinking. 

"If the snow keeps like this, we might have to spend Christmas here" he contemplated. His voice sounded almost sorrowful.

"Is your mom expecting you back in Vegas?" You asked against his jumper, happily inhaling his faint scent.

"Actually, no. Apparently quite a few of her friends are staying at the center for Christmas, and they’ve organized a lot of activities, so I was planning on spending it at home. I don’t feel like celebrating much without her" he murmured.

"Oh, Spence. Well, think of it like that, we really might be spending Christmas all together here" you said. You still felt quite drowsy and could tell you were slurring your words, but Spencer didn’t seem to notice.

"Maybe. Ah well, at least this is a pretty view" he breathed, gaze still fixed on the snow. 

"You’re the pretty one" you murmured, and nuzzled his neck. A second too late, your words registered in your brain, and you tensed up, realizing that you had said it out loud. You remained still, waiting for Spencer’s reaction, but he just chuckled.

"God, you’re so drunk" his raspy voice comes a bit wobbly, and you can’t figure out if it’s because of nerves or alcohol.

"I wish it was only the alcohol" you sighed, and looked up at him. _Okay, we can't unsay this... so I guess we’re doing this now._ "It would make things easier" you continued. 

"What things?" He rasped, looking down at you, aware of the sudden turn of events. 

"Looking at you without wanting you to kiss you, for example? Doing my job without being constantly distracted by you?" He just stared back at you, quietly, letting your words sink in.

"Since when?" He whispered.

"Apparently —and according to JJ, Garcia and Prentiss— for a year. But I only admitted it to myself a couple of days ago. Hence, the pranking and embarrassment from the team" you chanced a small smile, and he returned it warmly.

"You’d think that for a bunch of profilers they’d know how to be subtle about things" he croaked. You nodded, but said nothing. He still hadn’t said anything about that bomb you just dropped. 

"Spence… please say something?" You pleaded, your eyes piercing into his.

The next thing you know, his lips are on yours, and suddenly you didn’t need the blanket anymore. His hands went straight for your cheeks, and you reached to his hair, and returned the kiss fervently. He started to slide his hands down your shoulders, then down your sides until he reached your thighs. After a quiet moan escaped from your lips, Spencer, driven by some incredible and sudden strength, pushed you up until you’re straddling his lap, your lips never leaving his. 

Just then, out of nowhere, you heard a dog barking from the distance, which seemed to pop yours and Spencer’s bubble, because now Spencer looks like a deer caught in headlights, all color gone from his face. He dropped his hands from your back, and pushed you away from his lap, and back on the bench.

"I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can't do this" and he disappeared behind the sliding doors from where he came. 

You went behind him to ask him what had happened, but found the whole floor deserted. Everyone probably had gone to bed by then, but Spencer was nowhere to be found. Taking the stairs two at a time, you decided to check your room, since it was the most logical place where Spencer could hide. 

The room was also empty, with both yours and Spencer's belongings in the same place you left them. Upon further inspection, however, you noticed something out of place. You checked your backpack, to make sure nothing was missing. As soon as you unzipped it, something inside you already knew what you’d find there. Or, rather, what you wouldn't find. 

Your Secret Santa present is missing, along with the note.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this house we stan a good Jemily sexual tension.


	6. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alright, that I don’t buy. What did you do?" He raised his eyebrows at me in disbelief. 
> 
> "Why do you think it was me?"
> 
> "Well, I don’t see Hurricane sleeping in the couch. You’re the one who’s in the doghouse, man"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Chirstmas Eve!

Your head was spinning with a million questions. Your ears were buzzing, and it made it impossible to concentrate.

_Was it Spencer’s all along? I mean, it could only be his._

_But, what the hell was in that package that he had to run and hide it from me?_

_And why did he run? He seemed to be just as much into that kiss as I was._

_"I can’t do this"? What did that mean?_

The only thing you could think of was that somehow that gift meant something to him, and it showed you something that he no longer felt. You sat in bed and tried to remember what the note was. It said something about becoming fearless. _What if…_

_What if Spencer’s gift was something completely innocent, but now that you two had kissed it made things complicated, and now he doesn’t want anything to do with me?_

_Or, even worse. What if he DID have feelings for me, but upon kissing me he realized he didn’t feel that, so he got cold feet and took the gift before I could see what it was?_

_Am I that repulsive?_

You tried to smell your breath, and apart from the faint smell of wine and booze, nothing else seemed to be out of place. _What if it was my appearance? He said he was a sapiosexual, but maybe he does care about appearances. Was it my neediness? Sometimes I can be needy. Or…_

Every single insecurity you had ever suffered in your life, every single thing that made you doubt yourself, no matter how small, settled at the pit of your stomach, and it made you feel teeny tiny and stupid.

You started pacing around the room, jumping from feeling insecure and being angry at Spencer because _I’m a fucking FBI agent, I don’t deserve to feel like this because of a guy. I’m a fucking bad bitch!_

Your tears didn’t seem to care about how much of a bad bitch you were, because they started streaming down your face anyway. You tried to keep them in, literally shutting the door of the room to the rest of the world, and tried to wrap your breaking heart in your badassery like a bandaid, but the cracks were appearing faster than you were patching them up. Dragging your feet, you got into bed still dressed, and let the blankets cocoon you and your heart, and let the sadness overtake you.

"So much for only liking him for a couple of days" you murmured between sobs, to no one in particular.

**—Spencer—**

Someone shook me awake and my headache intensified. I rubbed my eyes only to find Morgan’s face almost on mine, which startled me into sitting up, and tried to push him away from me.

"What the hell are you doing here, Pretty Boy? Don’t you have a room?" He wondered.

"I slept here. Zoe locked herself in the room last night" I lied. Technically I didn’t even step on the room with her in it, so I didn’t give her a chance to kick me out or anything.

"Alright, that I don’t buy. What did you do?" He raised his eyebrows at me in disbelief.

"Why do you think it was me?"

"Well, I don’t see Hurricane sleeping in the couch. You’re the one who’s in the doghouse, man" I sighed at his perceptiveness and rubbed sleep off my eyes again, stalling. "Will you tell me what happened? The last thing I saw, you guys were very lovey-dovey on the bench outside"

WWell, after that, we- we kissed" I admitted, and looked up at him. His face broke into a smile and slapped my shoulder.

"You dog! Finally!" He belted, but then his smile faltered and his brows furrowed. "Hold on… if that were all that happened you wouldn’t be sleeping in the couch. What else happened?"

"While we were kissing, something stopped us and then I just… I panicked. Got cold feet and bolted. I hid in the toilet until I heard her close the door to our room and then snuck back to sleep on the sofa" I pulled at the hair on top of my head in frustration. Derek only looked at me more intensely. 

"Do you know why you did that? Did she not look like she was enjoying it?"

"No! She was! At least, I think so… she was making this small noises?" I smiled at the thought. "And, and she told me she found me pretty and distracting, although she was drunk"

"Is that why you stopped?"

"Yes! No! I…I was scared that she was only saying those things because she was drunk… and then when we kissed, I felt like I was taking advantage of her" I pulled the blanket over my head. It felt so weird talking about this with Morgan. Usually the roles were reversed.

"That’s noble of you, kid. But can I tell you what I think it was?" He pondered. 

"Please"

"Well, I think that most of your life you haven’t been very lucky in love, and you have not let yourself believe that it could be something real. And now that you’ve found someone that you really like, and who likes you back… well, it’s new. And it scares the shit out of you". 

_Who would have thought that Derek Morgan would be so wise about love?_

"That… that actually makes a lot of sense" I admitted "Did it happen to you with Savannah?"

"Yeah, definitely. I found myself buying the ring after our first date and when I got home, I almost threw it away. It scared me how ready I had been after just one night with her. I dodged her calls for a week" He chuckled "But you’re not me, kid, so don’t repeat the mistakes I made. Why don’t we go and talk to her?" I nodded and quickly stood up and made my way up the stars, with Morgan at my heels.

In the corridor, we came across JJ and Prentiss, who here waiting on Garcia to finish in the bathroom. They looked at us curiously and Derek just mouthed 'Love problems' and pointed to mine and Zoe’s room.I approached it and took a deep breath before knocking.

—You—

Rapid knocking woke you up, and made you bury your head deeper under the blankets. You didn’t want to deal with anyone, especially with the massive throbbing you felt in your head.

"Zoe, are you awake?"Spencer’s voice came through the door clearly, but he sounded insecure. He repeated the knocking when he received no answer from you.

"Zoe, please"

"Go away, Reid! I don’t want to talk to you!"

You heard him trying to open the door, but last night you blocked the handle with one of the chairs in the bedroom's vanity table, so he wasn’t getting in anytime soon.

"Please, Zoe, let the kid in!" Morgan demanded. You knew no one was getting in, so you just ignored them. Eventually they’d get tired and leave.

After a couple of minutes or so of Derek and Reid knocking and asking you to open the door, you heard footsteps walking away from there. _Finally._ It wasn’t over, thought, because when you thought they’d given up for good, another set of rapid knocking hammered the insides of your skull.

"Zoe, it’s me, Emily. Open up, please. The boys are gone"

"Em, please, leave me alone in my misery"

"Zoe, if you don’t open this door, I’m going to call your mom the chef, and tell her what happened last year on our Sin-to-Win weekend in Atlantic City!" you groaned against your pillow. _I knew that befriending a negotiator and giving her ammunition for blackmail was a very bad idea._

You begrudgingly got out of bed and pulled the hood up to try and cover your splotchy face, then took the chair out of the way and opened the door a smidge.

"There’s a lot to hate about you, Emily Prentiss" you croaked, popping your head out of the door. Garcia and JJ where on either side of Prentiss, like Charlie’s Angels.

"Let us in, Hurricane. We just wanna know that you’re okay" she demanded.

"I’m okay, I’m breathing and standing. Hell of a headache. Now, can you leave me alone?" you dead-panned.

"Is that a kitty in your room?" Garcia cut, suddenly, pointing inside your room.

"What?" You turned to look inside, and that’s when the three women pushed the door and let themselves in.

"What’s your damage, ladies?!" You sputtered as they closed the door behind them. They all sat on Spencer’s clean and made bed, expecting an explanation. Instead of giving them one, you stomped towards your bed and climbed back under the covers.

"Oh come on, stop being such a wuss" Garcia said, and you heard some shuffling and she slid under the covers with you.

"Zo, we just want to help" JJ was next under the covers. There was barely any space left to breathe with the three of you there.

"Coming!"

"Ouch!" You complained when, suddenly, Emily’s weight sprawled on top of the three of you. You three stuck your heads out to come face to face with the literal weight on your chests.

"Right. You have nowhere to go. Can we talk like adults now?" She said. You sighed and succumbed to their stares, then explained what happened on the night before. When you were done, JJ and Garcia snuggled closer to you.

"So… Reid was your secret admirer all along?" Prentiss whispered.

"Yeah, but now it seems he either got cold feet or maybe he’s repulsed by my kissing" you sniffed.

"No one is repulsed by your kissing! He looked like hell this morning, if it’s any consolation" JJ rasped.

"I don’t care" you puffed, _caringly, caring a lot_.

"Yes you do, honey, but we love you anyway" JJ said.

"Look, I know you don’t want to, but you need to talk to him. He seems like he wants to" Prentiss said. You shook your head rapidly.

"And, worst case scenario, if he turns out to not return your feelings, I’ll tell Morgan to kick his ass" Garcia shrugged, like _no big deal, we’ll just beat him to a pulp._ It brought a chuckle out of you.

"Hey, why don’t we go get some breakfast downstairs? I’m sure Rossi is cooking up a storm" Emily said, as she leapt out from on top of you.

"You guys go. I can’t stomach anything at the moment, but thank you anyway" you gratefully declined their offer, but gave them a hug before you watched them leave the room. "I don’t know what I would do without you, girls"

"BAU’s baddest bitches gotta stick together" Garcia stated, before she closed the door.

After they had gone, you took a change of clothes and took it to the shower with you, hoping it would help with the hangover and the wanting-to-avoid-Reid-forever thing. When you were done, however, you still wanted to avoid him. Hence, instead of heading downstairs, you took the opposite direction and decided to explore the rest of the house.

You saw JJ and Emily’s room, neatly packed and tidy, almost as if they hadn’t slept there. The next one was Garcia’s and Morgan’s, which looked like two different worlds imploding; Garcia’s side was full of her knick-knacks and beauty products, whereas Derek’s was tidy, with his clothes from the day before on a pile by the bed.

Both Hotch’s and Rossi’s rooms had their doors closed, so you simply passed by. The last door in the corridor, however, unveiled the best room in the whole house: Rossi’s office-library. It was dark but cozy, not very full. _Probably he keeps most of his collection back in DC_. Aside from his desk with an old typewriter on a beautiful mahogany desk, a couple of half-full bookcases and a big chair, there wasn’t much else. You walked by the shelves and caressed the volumes as you walked, reading the titles. You came across a small shelf with a stack full of plastic folders that seemed to stick out. You picked them up and took them with you to the big chair. _Identifying Non-obvious Relationship Factors Using Cluster Weighted Modeling and Geographic Regression._

"By Spencer Reid? You’ve got to be kidding me" you cursed your luck. The one document you pick up and—

"I thought you preferred reading crime novels, not Engineering dissertations"

You looked up toward the voice, and saw Rossi standing at the door with one cup in each hand.

"If I’m being honest I was kind of hoping it was the manuscript for your next novel" you shrugged "How come you have a copy of Reid's dissertation?" 

"It's what any proud adoptive father would do" he shrugged "I also have some newspaper cuttings from a couple of short stories you published in The Washington Post. Don't think you could have kept it a secret" you smiled, suddenly emotional at Rossi's paternal side. He approached you and gave you one of the cups, then brought the chair from his desk closer to you. Bringing your cup to your nose, you expected the smell of coffee, but it was chocolate.

"Hot cocoa?" You checked, and he confirmed it.

"I thought it’d be better than coffee on an empty stomach" For a while you just sipped on your cocoa, and studied Rossi while he drank his. When the silence was starting to get too much to handle, you sat back on the chair and said, "Don’t you want to know why I’m hiding here? Or are you going to give me a pep talk as well?"

"Oh, don’t worry about that. Boy genius already brought me up to speed. I probably know more than you, actually. But alas, I’m not here for that, because I think this is something you need to figure out between the two of you. I just wanted to be here in case you didn’t want to be alone" he went on. You nodded in acknowledgement, and went back to your cocoa. After about thirty seconds, however, he spoke again.

"But, if you wanted to talk to someone…"

"You were doing so great with the whole silence thing!" You protested. He raised his hands in defense and mimicked his mouth being zipped shut. You chuckled.

"Thanks, Dad"you murmured, smiling into your mug.

"You’re most welcome, kid. Don’t tell the others, though. I’m not allowed to have favorites amongst my children" he smiled and patted your knee.

Calm couldn't last forever, apparently, because just then there was a knock on the door, and Spencer’s face timidly appeared from the other side.

"May I come in?" He whispered. Rossi looked at you expectantly, and you nodded.

"I’ll go make myself useful somewhere else" Dave said, making his way to the door. Spencer took his seat and you two watched each other for a second.

"I owe you an explanation. I know" he started.

"Please and thank you" you agreed.

"I want you to know that I’m sorry I b-bolted and, and avoided you" he came to kneel between your legs, coming impossibly close to you. You recoiled, because if you stayed so near you would not be able to think clearly.

"Why did you, then? Bolt like that. You said you couldn’t do _this"_ You gestured between the two of you. "What did it mean?" You asked with a hard face on. He seemed discouraged, seeing your face like that and with your voice so bitter. _Good._

"I just… I, ugh. I like you too much!" He raised his voice, annoyed.

"Well you sure have a weird way of showing it!" You shouted in return. _How can you like someone too much? He makes it sound like it’s a bad thing!_ "You know what? Forget it, Spence. If you’re gonna keep playing, I’m out. Fool me once that’s on you, fool me twice that’s on m—"

His lips were on yours in a second, pushing you into the back of the chair. It was as if he was physically fighting his feelings by clashing his lips into your mouth. As much as you would have liked to continue, you pushed him out of your face.

"Spencer, stop! You can’t just kiss your way into things, you know?! You need to use your words, sometimes"

He looked so confused, like a fish out of water. He was panting and looking at nowhere in particular, gathering his thoughts.

"Take your time" you sneered. He took a big breath and locked eyes with you.

"Words. Yeah, yeah, okay. I can do that. Well, I panicked because of a multitude of reasons. First, I thought it was because I didn’t want to take advantage of you being drunk —which is true, by the way, it’s just not the only reason— and then, I also thought that, because you were drunk, you didn’t mean what you said" he paused.

"I wasn’t that drunk… just tipsy. I meant everything I said" you murmured into the now empty cup, not meeting his eyes.

"I know that now. And I think a part of me knew it last night, too" he gently took the cup of your hands and left it on the desk behind him. Then took both of your hands into his, claiming your attention. "I don’t know if you knew this, Zoe, but my experience with women isn’t very extensive. I always expected these feelings I have for you to be unrequited. I always thought I’d never stand a chance, you know? You’re so intelligent and witty and all round gorgeous a-and perfect, how could you have feelings for a lanky nerd like me?! But then, yesterday, realizing that you might... return my feelings, and that I-I had something so good and pure and amazing at my fingertips? Well, like Morgan says… it scared the shit out of me"

"So that’s what you mean by _liking me too much_. You’re a little dramatic, Spence"

"Well, my mom was a literature professor. What did you expect?" He half-smiled. "Zoe, I never want you to feel like I’m not serious. If anything, I might be too serious"

"Good" you quipped, biting a smile. He looked up at you and tilted his head, confused. "I wouldn’t want it any other way" You whispered, and then placed your hands on either side of his neck, and slowly planted your lips on top of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end, don't worry! We will find out what's in the present!


	7. Dear Zoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoe finally gets to open her present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I wish I could have spent it discussing Spencer Reid with all of you. I missed you terribly!  
> All the love <3

This time, Spencer gladly returned the kiss, cradling your face in his big hands and pulling you into a standing position. When he had you on your feet, he wrapped his hands around your waist to bring you even closer against his him. After a while, you both stopped to breathe.

“Are you going to run away again?” You said, and he shook his head, a dopey smile on his face.

“Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon” He stroked your cheek, and then went to sit down on the chair you had just vacated.

“You dragged me out of the chair a minute ago, only to steal my seat?” You rose your eyebrow.

“Come here, I want to give you something”he said, gesturing with his right index finger to for you to approach him. You listened, and took a sit across his lap, with your feet dangling from one of the armrests and your hands around his neck. He smelled faintly of cinnamon, and it made you wonder if Rossi’s breakfast included gingerbread cookies.

"Is it the gift you stole from me?" You squinted. He looked away, nodding slowly. Gently, you grabbed him by the chin to make him look at you, and kissed him again, which brought a small sigh from his mouth.

"Why did you take it?" You whispered, resting your forehead against his.

"Just… just open it" He reached behind him and withdrew the package that you should have opened three days ago. You started to carefully unwrap the bright red paper to reveal what looked like a journal. It was bound in maroon leather, and in the bottom right corner, the letters ‘ZH’ were engraved.

"I-I know how you always carry a notebook with you so you can write notes, usually while on a case. And I noticed how you haven’t done that lately, you’re always burrowing paper from the printers wherever you go so…. And I wanted to make it special so you always have a place to take notes. On the cases, from the books you read… am I rambling?" He cut himself, with a crease in between his brows. You nodded, but gave him a peck on the lips.

It’s true that you’re always writing notes everywhere, especially during cases. It’s the only way you can really register and visualize details about them. You also take other notes, however. Notes about what’s Emily’s favourite movie, Spencer’s book recommendations… which is why you always try to carry one with you. After a couple of years in the BAU, you must have gone through at least five of these, but never really fully get rid of them. You’ve even left them a corner in your bookshelf.

"I love it, Spencer. It’s beautiful, and I love that you noticed, but I don’t understand why you had to hide it from me" You told him between kisses.

"You need to look inside" he tried to hide his face in the crook of your neck. With the hand not holding the journal, you reached for his curls and opened it. Inside, you came face to face with Spencer’s shaky and squiggly hand script on what looked like an inscription that went like this:

_Dear Zoe,_

_I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic,_

_Music makes you dance,_

_Sunshine brightens your day_

_And the night sky touches your soul._

_And although I am ready to abandon all hope of ever being more than a friend,_

_I hope one day you can see yourself through my eyes,_

_And see what I see._

_Our friends call you Hurricane,_

_But my love for you came like anything but that._

_My love for you came like a summer breeze,_

_Slowly, sleepy, and it enchanted me without my noticing._

_By the time I wanted to ignore it, you had made a home in my heart._

_And I sincerely hope you never want to leave it._

_Full of love,_

_S_

You hugged the open journal tightly to your chest, trying to process Spencer’s words.

"God, it’s so embarrassing!" he whined from the safety of your neck.

"Hey, hey, don’t say that" You kissed his temple. "This is the most beautiful thing someone has ever said to me" He appeared from under his hiding spot to look you in the eyes.

"It is?" He croaked.

"Of course! I have to say, though, that if I had read this three days ago, I honestly don’t know how I would have reacted… so maybe it’s good that I waited a bit to open it" you smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

"Yeah, that was probably for the best… So, do you see yourself through my eyes?" he murmured.

"Hmm, I’m not quite sure what you mean… maybe you’ll have to tell me more in detail" you smirked and bit your lip.

"Well…" He licked his lips before he continued "Perhaps I could… show you?"

He started kissing from your neck up, peppering you with kisses that brought goosebumps everywhere. You closed your eyes, and suddenly Spencer stood up, with you still in his arms, and carried you bridal style to your bedroom.

"Spence, what are you doing?! Put me down!" You started kicking the air, trying to get out of the doctor’s grasp, but it was all futile. He carried you like that until he managed to access your room and left you on the bed. Then, he went to close the door and blocked it from the inside with the same chair you used in the morning. 


	8. White Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter, for now. I struggled a lot in finishing this fic, and I'm really sorry if the ending sucks :(   
> Part of me wants to write an epilogue of Reid meeting Zoe's mom and sister, I just don't know exactly how.   
> Again, I'm so sorry and I really love you for reading anyway.   
> Happy holidays, my dearest <3

"So… that was great" you croaked, and Spencer nodded and reached down to kiss the tip of your nose.

You were so tangled into each other, that it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Your head was resting on his chest, and your left hand was tracing invisible lines on his belly and chest, drawing sweet nothings on his skin.

"Can I ask a question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to,but I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday" you asked, kissing his shoulder.

"Sure, anything" He said in his throaty voice.

"You said you’re not a virgin… and it shows" your cheeks burned just from thinking about what the two of you had just done. "But… who was your first? And have there been… others?" He seemed a little taken aback by your question, and scrunched his face.

"I’m sorry… I-I the question was too personal. You don’t have to tell me" you stammered.

"No, no. it’s fine. Uhm, there’s only been the one, apart from you, of course. She, uhm… you don’t know her. It was a couple of years ago, in Atlanta. Her name is Austin, and I met her during a case there, but kept in contact and even went for dinner a couple of times after the case closed. We'd see each other whenever I could fly there, or she could come to see me. We decided to meet again when she came to DC one time, and after dinner we went to her hotel room and… well, you can imagine the rest"

"And there’s not been anyone else since?» He shook his head. «But then you haven’t had sex in like… years! How? Have you seen _you_?" He openly laughed, but turned to look at you and gave you a deep long kiss. 

You were seriously surprised that no one had tried to get into the doctor’s bed. But then again, you had only realized that you wanted to a few days ago.

"Well" he started "After a month or so without seeing her or being able to meet, things kind of broke apart? I guess? And a couple of months after that, a new girl joined the BAU. She was stunning, funny and very kind. I fell for her almost straight away. Still am"

"She _was_ stunning?" You pouted.

"She is. Incredibly stunning" he corrected himself. You nodded in agreement, and reached for another kiss, your lips gliding against his. Then you moved to lay on top of him, tremendously enjoying where this was going, until you heard some banging on the door of your room.

"HEY, PRETTY BABIES! I DON’T CARE WHAT KIND OF HANKY PANKY YOU GOT GOING ON IN THERE, BUT HOTCH SAYS WE CAN FLY BACK HOME IN TWO HOURS. SO YOU BETTER WRAP IT UP!"

Morgan’s voice came booming through the other side of the door. You groaned at the interruption and rested your forehead on Spencer’s bare chest. He, in return, chuckled quietly and stretched to kiss the top of your head.

"Come on, we gotta get dressed" He whispered.

After getting changed and packing up your things, you unblocked the door, but before opening it, you turned to Spencer.

"Hey, so, one last thing… what do we say? Like, to the team. What is this?"

"You mean about us? I thought I made that clear" He left his suitcase and stepped towards you. "I want this. Us. And it sounds cheesy, but I want to call you my girlfriend… if that's okay with you?" He seemed unsure again, all the confidence he seemed to show while in bed suddenly gone.

You jumped to him and wrapped your arms around his neck, then planted a kiss on his lips. «Yes, I very much would like that»

————————

You walked hand in hand down the hallway and into Rossi’s living room, where everyone was waiting for you.

"Ah, my favorite pair. Did you have fun? Please tell me you had fun" Morgan said, and clasped his hands, thanking a God you knew he didn’t believe in. All you did as a response was hide behind Spencer’s back, feeling a blush creep up your neck.

"Yes! It worked! We did this!" Garcia cheered. "I knew you two could not be left in charge of your own feelings"

"Penelope, you know I love you, but next time you want to meddle in my relationship with Zoe, please ask for our permission" Spencer said, sternly but gently at the same time. Penelope seemed unfazed by it.

"If I have to wait for you to come for my help, we’ll all die of old age, brainiac" everyone chuckled because she probably was right. Without them lovingly pressuring you there’s no way you’d be standing holding Reid’s hand right now.

Just then Hotch appeared from the kitchen door and everyone went quiet, almost expecting him to come in with a third case.

"Alright, we got a green light from the pilot and the control towers in Quantico to leave within the hour. We could be home by the evening and go home" he announced.

"And the paperwork for the case?" You pondered.

"It can wait until after Christmas, I’ll deal with the brass" he assured you with a smile. That brought an instant smile to the rest of the team and you.

"It’s a Christmas Miracle!" Rossi celebrated.

"I’ll call Will straight away, I get to go home for Christmas to my boys!" JJ jumped, then took her phone out of her bag and started to make her way to the front door.

As if on cue, everyone started following her outside, dragging their suitcases with them and letting the freezing air inside. You looked over at Spencer, and saw him with an odd expression on his face. He seemed to be looking into the abyss, expecting it to give him an answer to some question that you couldn’t figure out. His lips were pursed into a thin line, and he looked lost.

"Hey, Spencer?" You murmured. When he didn’t react, you moved to stand in front of him. "Spencer? Baby, is everything okay?"

The use of the new term of endearment seemed to shake him back into reality, or maybe it was seeing you in his line of sight. Either way, he drew a smile on his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Yeah, y-yeah everything’s fine" he stammered, then tried to turn to leave, but you stopped him by putting your hand on his chest.

"Love, no offense, but I don’t buy it. I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you’re not too thrilled to spend Christmas on your own?" You murmured, gently reaching for his hand. He didn’t answer, he only took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, then, don’t take this as pitty, because it’s not. But, uh, I’m spending Christmas with my mom and 17 year-old sister. It’s only going to be the three of us and more food than we can handle…so, do you want to come? I know we’ve literally only been together for a few hours, but we don’t have to tell them anything if you don’t want—"

He interrupted your ramble with a deep kiss. When he pulled out, you remained with your eyes closed and your lips slightly pouted, but spoke again quickly.

"I’m taking that as a yes?"

"Yes. Most definitely yes!" His forlorn expression from earlier was completely gone, and there was a joyful, almost childish one in its place.

"Great, then let’s go! I still need to buy a gift for my sister, and you’re gonna help me out" you announced, and took him by the hand to drag him to the door. The cold outside was almost biting your skin, but the views that you were met with supported the idea that Aspen was indeed a Winter Wonderland.

After the events of these past few hours, you finally understood why people hyped snow so much. It covered everything with a beautiful layer of white magic, and it made everything possible.

_Well, I say we let it snow some more, as soon as we get back home._


End file.
